Philips PCA060 color analyzer

[Roberto]

I have given a Philips PCA060 color analyzer from a dear friend.
Unfortunately the instruction manual was missing. On the internet I found one PDF in french which I cannot understand and not even translate as it is a "graphical" PDF .

I can intuitively figure out the functioning of the thing but first I have a big doubt. Since I believe it is designed to work with negatives and thus provide "reverse" data , how one should consider its output, working with slides?

For example:
- I have a test slide that I managed to print well
- I know the base filtration (from the color head) for this test image
- I zero all the channels of the color analyzer using this test slide
- I take another slide that I want to print
- I measure the three channels with the analyzer and get three offset values one for each color

What do I do with these offset values? Do I add or subtract them to the base filtration considering that I am working with slides?

Thanks!

[afrank]

Hey did you manage to get any information regarding this Analyzer? I am trying to figure out how to use mine.

[RPC]

In response to the OP you should be using the integrator (round diffuse piece of plastic) under the lens of the enlarger if you are not already, for both slides, and do as you have done, but note that the exposure knob should always be set at the time you used to make your print, and do not move the probe after zeroing the meters. Also, there is a special filter that should have come with it that you place over the probe for slides. It is not needed for negatives. If you do not have it, results may be off. For the slide you want to print, push the cyan button and zero the meter by changing the aperture on your enlarger lens, not the cyan control on your enlarger. Then push the magenta button and zero the meter with the magenta control on your enlarger, then push the yellow button and zero the meter with the yellow control on your enlarger. Repeat for each channel until the readings stay at zero. You now have the filtration in your enlarger to make your print. Now, depending on the nature of the slide you may have to reverse the procedure for the cyan and magenta channels if you can't zero the readings. Good luck.

[Roberto]

Well I have the diffuser but not the extra filter for the slides.
Sadly , this is not a problem, as I have stopped thinking of printing slides, due to the cost and the lack of material

[pentaxuser]

Roberto, what the others have said is correct. You need to use the diffuser at all times and occasionally but only occasionally even if the analyser is properly calibrated a negative where one colour predominates wil give you a print where further small correction is needed.

Key to calibration is to produce a "perfect print" from one negative then use that negative to calibrate the analyser. Unless you produce a perfect print( one that you consider prints the colour in the scene as they were or at least as you want them) then other prints will not be correct in terms of colours.

It is a very reliable analyser and much easier to use than the likes of the Colourstar 3000 but of course it lacks the 3000's versatility.

pentaxuser